The Dark Continent's Music
by TheClerksPupil
Summary: After arriving at the Dark Continent, Kurapika begins plans to hunt the fourth prince and retrieve the remaining scarlet eyes. He begins to explore the new environment, and stumbles upon a town called Imre.
1. Chapter 1

The Dark Continent's Music

"We're here. Welcome to the Dark Continent"

The announcement rang out over the ship's intercom. No one moved at first. Then a step could be heard. And another. A progressive increase in volume as the passengers of the whale ship began to rush to the exit. The excitement could be felt reverberating through the crowd. Only one figure remained sitting behind, observing the rush of people towards the door.

Earlier the scrap had been removed from the ship, hundreds of thousands of people deposited to a fake continent rather than be subjected to the famed calamities that awaited the hunters and the royal family who remained. With Oito, the eighth wife, Kurapika had waited for this occasion with carefully controlled impatience. He would finally have an opportunity to take his shot at the fourth prince, after months of death; political situations; and ignorance from his fellow guards, he could finally begin to put his plan to regain the scarlet eyes of the Kurta in motion.

First, the environment would need to be observed. Finally coming to his feet, Kurapika headed towards the waiting door; the other passengers having long since forced their way through. By the time he arrived, the crowd was gathered in their respective groups: the zodiacs, the royal family's newly trimmed ranks (only 5 princes remained) – and each groups' accompanying members.

He had heard talk of different humans, from the ones he was familiar, inhabiting the Dark Continent. Its size was impossible to comprehend. From where they were on the shore, Kurapika could see a river that he imagined would lead to a human settlement, if there were in fact any.

"What do you think?" Leorio appeared beside him with a grin on his face.

"I think we should be careful." Kurapika responded, carefully watching the crowd who had began to quiet and look at each other – each member calculating their own plots on how to kill the other.

"Lighten up, everyone is exhausted. I'm sure we have a few minutes before we're back to bloodshed." Leorio said while stretching out his legs, undoubtedly cramped from waiting for the last few legs of the voyage.

"I suppose, I think I'm going to start looking around. I'll be back." Kurapika headed towards the river, and the forest it threaded its way through.

"Be careful, call me if you need anything. At all." Leorio gave Kurapika one more long glance before heading back to the other Zodiacs.

Kurapika held one hand up and continued his walk towards the forest. _This would be perfect to set a trap to eliminate the Prince and his bodyguards all at once. I'll try and find a clearing._ The thought of killing the Prince and getting the eyes back always at the forefront of his mind. Because of his limitation on his chain usage, he knew he would have to be careful when taking on non-spider nen users.

After a few minutes, he began to hear the sounds of a city. Chatter, the clanking of dishes, the sound of horses and their riders yelling as they whipped them. Staying to the shadows, he moved closer to better gauge the size and type of people ahead.

 _They look completely normal. Although not as advanced as us._ Looking carefully at the level of technology in the city, he could conclude that it was unlikely they had reached the level of the society to which he was used. Their lack of car usage, telephones, and electricity made it clear to Kurapika that they had not yet advanced in those areas. However, the architecture and structures were incredible.

Deciding to take a risk, he advanced. Receiving some strange looks at first, the citizens didn't seem to pay more attention to him than they would anyone dressed in the clothing of a foreign land.

 _I should find food and accommod–ation; this will be a good place to establish a central location to recruit allies to my cause. I can only hope that this city has strong members, although I have no knowledge of whether they are stronger or weaker than us._

One building seemed particularly busier than the others. The words _The Eolian_ inscribed above its entrance, he decided it was as good a place as any to begin his investigation. Heading towards the door, a man stopped him.

"That'll be one jot please." A man with a muscular build and blonde hair held out his hand. Kurapika was shocked that it was exactly the same dialect he spoke.

"I'm not from here, I'm unfamiliar with your currency, will this work?" Kurapika held out two thousand Jenny.

"I suppose it will do, music shouldn't be denied. However, young master, do try and find a way to exchange your currency before your next visit." Deoch waved Kurapika through.

"I thank you for your kindness, I will do just that."

Pushing open the door, a sound greeted him that he had never heard the likes of. Winding its way into his mind, the sound of a forest at night; the dew collecting on leaves; the sound of a spring's current rushing against rocks, it all hit him at once. Reminded of Melody's flute, he had to find the source.

The building was dark and multi-levelled, with patrons spread across its various floors. The wealth of some of them with evident: jewelry garnered their female companions' necks and they themselves were clothed in beautiful and excellently woven fabrics. Others seemed to view it as more of a pub atmosphere, young adults gathered together excitedly watching the stage.

Looking forward, he found the source of the melody that had taken his attention. A spotlight illuminated a slender young man with fiery red hair, who was playing the lute like it was as natural as breathing. His fingers moved in a blur as the master practiced his trade; Kurapika knew he had to bring Melody here.

The song came to a close, and the audience erupted. Obviously not new to the glamour of this place, the young man simply performed a simple bow and went to a table where it appeared his friends were gathered.

They appeared to be a friendly group: the red-haired man (who was the youngest of them all), a tanned noble looking man, a pale-skinned noble, and finally an older man who seemed by far to be the most inebriated. They had cards in front of them and they patted the musician on the back as he took his seat.

 _Better to start sooner rather than later._

"Do you mind if I join you?" Kurapika waved his hand towards an empty chair that was pushed off to the side.

"And who are you?" The dark-skinned man said with a slight accent.

"I'm new here, I could use the company. My name is Kurapika, I am from a land far from here. I could strongly use some information about this place, its people, and its geography. If you help me, I will have no problem assisting you in a similar manner; whether it be financial or information, I will be of service." Kurapika looked him in the eyes, gauging his strength. He seemed intelligent, but not formidable in physical ability.

"Please have a seat, Kurapika." The red-haired musician, who had at first remained relaxed in his demeanour, now seemed very intent on him.

 _He is strong. Very strong._ Kurapika wasn't sure where the man's power was stemming from, it didn't appear to be nen, but he knew that this was a strength that could not be denied. Not to mention the cold calculating eyes that now met his own.

"I am Kvothe. These are my friends Simmon, Wilem, and Manet. We are students at the university across the river, feel free to ask us questions to your heart's content. Then it will be my turn." Kvothe said with a smile, not visibly displaying any of the strength that was present a moment before.

 _I must tread lightly. However, if I can convince him to work with me, he seems to be a powerful ally._

"Firstly, what is this university? How large are these cities? How do you distinguish classes within them, and would you mind detailing the imports and exports?"


	2. Chapter 2

Music rang out as the conversation between the two strangers continued. Neither gave any ground to the other, a verbal chess game was well in play as the sun began to set.

"I see. I am sorry to hear about your clan; it seems we come from a similar childhood." Kvothe's voice carried an element of sadness, like someone fighting to remain composed, as Kurapika finished explaining his motivations towards the destruction of the Phantom Troupe. "Your grudge sounds much like my own, although the enemy here is far more powerful than that which you describe."

Kurapika's eyes flashed a small amount of irritation at Kvothe's apparent dismissal.

"Oh? I hope you do not underestimate the capabilities of the enemy, the Phantom Troupe is untouchable to most, even our most elite assassins avoid encounters with them, when possible. I have managed to kill two of their members, but they were undoubtedly quickly replaced, and their leader is most likely back to full strength by this time. Without allies and a place of establishment, it will be quite difficult for me to continue to fight them individually. It is unfortunate I cannot take them on all at once, but the variables involved are not favourable to my survival, and I must remain alive to finish collecting the eyes of the Kurta. I hope you can see why this is not a matter to be taken so lightly."

Kvothe raised his hands in a quick apology, "I did not mean any harm by it. I am more than interested in learning more about this 'Nen,' and in turn I have no issue telling you why it is I made the claim about The Chandrian that I did. The Phantom Troupe has made public debuts that have allowed you to track their movements, so much so that you are aware of their presence even now – hence the current conversation. My challenge is slightly more, The Chandrian do not exist in any records; word of mouth, aside from fairy tales that only have an inkling of reliability; and have managed to leave only the most minimal of traces. I have encountered them twice, which is far more than many – that are alive at the very least. The fae fear them, and they are far more powerful than all humans, except maybe those who have mastered this land's magic: naming.

 _They have their own type of magic, if I can learn it before the Phantom Troupe get their hands on it, that may be enough to swing the odds in my favour for a direct confrontation._

"I apologize to interrupt your story, but I must ask for more details of this magic. I am in need of all ammunition I can acquire for my lonely war, and I can trade information about Nen in return." Kurapika leaned forward in the chair during the proposal, his interest in the topic easily understood by Kvothe.

"It is not that I do not wish to teach you more of this, but I barely understand it myself. I have been able to wield the wind, learn the name of my most trying enemy, and have branded a name for myself through its practice. I do not, however, understand it on a teachable level. For that, I would recommend meeting Master Elodin at the University. He comes off as empty-minded, but so far as I have been aware, his mastery far surpasses my own. What I can offer in exchange…" Kvothe paused as he looked at Wilem; Sim; and Manet, who were sitting quietly during the conversation. "This cannot leave this table, and I am loathe to even discuss it here, but," Kvothe's voice lowered to a whisper, "I will teach you the principles of Sympathy, a type of energy exchange to which you seem unfamiliar, that I believe you will be able to use to your advantage."

An immediate feeling of discomfort passed through the table, Manet and Wilem standing up abruptly.

"While we all seem to be aware of your desire to be expelled, Kvothe, I will not bear witness to you teaching the secrets of the University to someone you barely know. If you feel the need to continue in this business, I will not stop you, but do not expect me to encourage such behaviour." Wilem glowered at Kvothe, finished his drink, and began walking towards the door.

"The young are unable to think properly, and I am not likely to benefit if I watch you continue to dig yourself into an even larger hole." Manet followed Wilem at a quick pace, throwing coins on the table as he turned away.

"Sim?" Kvothe turned to his last remaining companion.

"Well, they're not wrong. You shouldn't be doing this. I won't lecture you, but I should probably go with them. I don't want to leave you alone though." Simmon glanced quickly at Kurapika and back to Kvothe, the lack of trust in the newcomer evident in his gaze.

"I can take care of myself, you should know that. I'll catch up with the three of you later, have a good walk back. No need for you to suffer for my sins, go catch up with Fela, I'm sure she's missing you." Kvothe gave Simmon his most confident smile, not letting through the small uneasiness that is bound to occur when you meet someone who understands your most intimate drive: that of a life bound for vengeance.

"Now, I believe we can begin?" Kurapika met eyes with his ally of convenience. "I do not have much time, there is no telling when the Troupe may arrive. This is a new city with new riches, they will not waste any time in stripping this city bare. The opportunity is perfect. If the situation arrives, do I have your assistance?

"Well, please begin with the principles of Nen. I cannot hope to assist you against an enemy wielding an unfamiliar power. In return, contingent of course on the elimination of the more current enemy, I can count on you to assist me in the research and locating of the Chandrian? I have made very little progress, and I am hoping that as we seem to be of a similar mind, you may be able to tip the scales." Kvothe's voice sped up a little in the emotion that came with feeling a small glimmer of hope towards seeing the Chandrian again – the chance to exact his revenge seemed more graspable.

"It is a deal. I will require a fair amount of your time, will your classes allow for that?"

"It will not be the first time I have skipped class, you can be assured of that."

They shook hands, and ordered another round of drinks.

Kurapika raised his glass into the air, never breaking eye contact with Kvothe. "A toast, to a most profitable friendship."

The glasses clinked and the music played. The balance of power had shifted dramatically in favour of the new friends.


	3. Chapter 3

An iron drab moved across the table, seemingly untouched by anything or anyone. Kurapika's eyes opened wide in amazement, immediately using Gyo to attempt to unveil the source of the movement.

"How are you doing this? If not Nen?" Kurapika looked up at Kvothe, who had a sly smile while he looked down at the drab, his hand moving almost imperceptibly behind him, where another identical drab was being held.

"This…is Sympathy." The dramatic flair of Kvothe sneaking to the forefront as he savoured the amazement of Kurapika. "As the two are made of the same composite materials, I am able to link them using my mind, and then command the movement of one through the other. You can do it with less perfect connections, but it requires more energy, and if it is too large or too far away you could lead to your own death. You can maintain one or more links at a time, I am up to five, and I've only met one person who could command more. To begin with, you will need to learn the initial principles."

"Amazing, I can see the usefulness of this already. The only question I have would be one that I don't know if you can answer." Kurapika held up the chains around his fingers. "I have conjured these, they are a creation of my Nen. That means while they may embody the appearance of a chain, they were not crafted with steel. I will have to test whether or not I could establish a sympathetic link with another chain, or even be able to do it on other Nen conjured items or beasts. If so, this will be a huge advantage over any conjurers I run into. Not to mention its trap setting capabilities."

Kvothe eyed up Kurapika, aware of the fact he was intelligent from their previous conversation, but the true depth of his ability to strategize and formulate plots had escaped him until this point. "I would like to learn a bit about Nen now, if you don't mind."

"Of course, we should step outside for this next part." The two men stepped out from the bar, moving to the bridge between Imre and the University. Kurapika held up his chains and looked at Kvothe.

"Feel these. Describe them to me." Kvothe moved forward to grab each chain in succession, looking for some kind of special attribute in the metal. He looked at it as he would a naming challenge, slowly and with open regard to the elements that composed the chain. No matter how intensely he stared at it, he could not find any difference between the chain Kurapika carried and that of a normal chain.

"I don't see anything off at all, are these not just chains?" Kvothe eyed Kurapika suspiciously. The chains suddenly lifted up and moved of their own accord, much like the drab had appeared to. Rotating unbelievably fast, Kvothe lost track of the movement. He was amazed by the speed with which Kurapika was moving the chains. He knew that not even an arrow could pierce the shield that they created.

"How?!" Kvothe was flabbergasted, for this level of Sympathy would require more than he, or even Devi, possessed.

"As I said before, these are chains I have conjured with my mind. I can bend them to my will, and each finger represents a different function. I cannot use certain abilities on anyone but the group I hunt, but what I have for others is more than enough. I am what is called a Conjurer, one of the six Nen types. We will find out what type you are." Kurapika gestured back to the way they came. "We should find the materials necessary in that pub, unless you have a better place? All we require is a glass of water and a leaf."

Kvothe pondered a moment. "It may be safer to do this in my room. We don't need anyone observing our activities. Follow me, we will go in through my window." The two men sprang to movement, Kurapika easily keeping pace with Kvothe.

When they reached Anker's, the climb proved to be just as little of a challenge for the newcomer. Finally setting in the room, Kvothe looked at Kurapika expectantly.

"The first thing I need to do, and a dangerous shortcut at that, is to open your Nen pores. Sometimes they open naturally, but that would require months of training, and I have at most a few days before the arrival of my enemies. We can only hope they try to rob the Princes as soon as they land, in the confusion of the succession war. Stand still, it'll be over quickly." Kurapika held his hands out towards Kvothe, sending out a wave of Nen.

Kvothe jerked abruptly. He suddenly felt a power pouring through his body, and then, moments later, out of it. He looked down at his hands and felt a power he had not known he had. An aura seemed to visibly engulf his body, and he looked at Kurapika without hesitation. "What now?"

"Now we test what you are." Kurapika beckoned to the glass of water, with one leaf resting in the center.


End file.
